Sportscolumn.com – Page 157 – Sports News and Commentary

2006 Baseball Predictions

Baseball’s offseason this year was overshadowed by Barry Bonds, the Game of Shadows, and the forthcoming steroid investigation. That’s a shame, because there are a lot of other interesting stories heading into this baseball season. The White Sox appear to have a good chance at becoming the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees dynasty ended in 2000. In speaking of the Yankees, they signed star outfielder Johnny Damon from the Red Sox, giving them a shot at the title. And in the NL, can anyone top the Braves and Cardinals from repeating again as division champions? Here are my team and individual predictions for the 2006 MLB season.

College Basketball

The saddest thing in life…

Post author By TexasFlood
Post date March 31, 2006
No Comments on The saddest thing in life…

For a small public university in Fairfax, Virginia this kind of national media attention is no doubt very abnormal. The George Mason Patriots were underestimated from the beginning. Even their selection by the board to play in the tournament was criticized by American sportscasters like Billy Packer. George Mason was shrouded in some early controversy as well with the suspension of Tony Skinn after punching a Hofstra player below the belt in the midst of a CAA tournament loss. The Hofstras who beat the George Mason patriots twice in the final 10 days of the season were overlooked by the board for admittance to the tournament. It is reasons like this that not many people were paying attention to Mason when the tournament began on March 14th. It literally wasn’t until Denham Brown’s three point attempt overshot the rim as the final buzzer of overtime sounded that most of us could believe that George Mason University was going to be going to the semifinals. That win made them the first mid-major team to reach the Final Four since 1979 when Larry Bird’s Sycamores and an underestimated Penn team did it as well.

All Other Sports

Duke Lacrosse Rape Scandal

Post author By Vin
Post date March 30, 2006
34 Comments on Duke Lacrosse Rape Scandal

[Editor’s Note: This entry was originally posted in the blog and is not quite column worthy but the story is important enough that I am reposting it here. I know some of you don’t read the blog and I want to get your reactions.]

The Smoking Gun has published the search warrant obtained by the North Carolina police to search the premises of house where the alleged rape took place.

Included in the warrant are the names of the three alleged rapists.

NBA General

2006 Free Agency

A hectic schedule begins in three weeks for the NBA. Sixteen teams will work tirelessly in hopes of capturing the coveted NBA Championship while managements will begin to debate and alter the future of their respective franchises. The advent of the postseason foreshadows the offseason which is of utmost concern for managements who desperately need to make changes to their squads or merely just retain players. There’s gold in dem hills aka the free agent market this year. Who are the significant free agents? Who will stay with their current club, and who will offer their services in a different jersey?

Chicago Cubs

It’s the Same Old Story in ChiTown

Post author By Matt Wells
Post date March 29, 2006
1 Comment on It’s the Same Old Story in ChiTown

Ahhhh…..the weather is getting warmer. The snow has begun to melt. You’re breaking out your shorts and flip-flops, and you may even begin to start the process of opening your swimming pool. It’s spring…and it’s also baseball season.

Fans in baseball towns around the country – from Seattle to Boston to Miami – are preparing for a new baseball season. The smells of the fresh-cut grass on the field and the sounds of the bat hitting the ball are ringing loud and true.

And yet, the north side of Chicago is experiencing the same thing they’ve experienced the past few seasons – star players on the disabled list.

College Basketball

Surprise! Sampson to Coach IU

Post author By smails
Post date March 29, 2006
4 Comments on Surprise! Sampson to Coach IU

Indiana University has hired Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson as its next head basketball coach. Honest.

Satire

Madcap mascots make our games merry

Post author By RJ Warner
Post date March 29, 2006
2 Comments on Madcap mascots make our games merry

They’re fun. They’re cute. They’re Criminals (Yuma HS, AZ)! Ah, the life of the sports mascot. Be it high school, college, or the pros, the game just can’t go on without an eight foot tall, oversized, stuffed Banana Slug (UC-Santa Cruz).

I want to be a part of the fun, so I’m going to apply at some of our fine institutions of learning for their coveted mascot positions. I hope they overlook the fact that I, like, don’t actually attend their school.

NBA General

NBA 2005-2006 Season Awards

Post author By wtt02005
Post date March 27, 2006
1 Comment on NBA 2005-2006 Season Awards

With the playoffs in less than a month, it is time to honor those individuals for their performance during the season.

College Basketball

Welcome to Indianapolis……..

Post author By Trevor
Post date March 27, 2006
13 Comments on Welcome to Indianapolis……..

by Trevor Freeman

“I know you guys can shoot, but there’s more to the game than shooting there’s fundamentals and defense.”

General Sports

The City of Pittsburgh: Worn Out Jersey Edition

Post author By the eighth 1nder
Post date March 27, 2006
8 Comments on The City of Pittsburgh: Worn Out Jersey Edition

The jersey fad is sweeping the nation. Everyone wants the new and hot threads that they see on TV, but how far does “new” take you? Just because you have a star’s name on your back doesn’t automatically mean that they’re hot on the streets. Here are the not-so-top twenty jerseys in the city of Pittsburgh… for more worn out jerseys, just check the New York Yankees locker room…